


this infinite between us: timestamps

by redonthemoon



Series: this infinite between us [2]
Category: Black Canary (Comics), DCU (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Timestamp, first one is Dinah/Ollie the rest is HalBarry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 00:26:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16074533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redonthemoon/pseuds/redonthemoon
Summary: These are timestamps/ficlets connected withthis infinite between us.It's highly recommendable to read first the fic, otherwise some scenes would make no sense at all. Each one will come with it's own note regarding when is temporally set and its possible warnings.





	1. When Oliver met Dinah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This is set one year before this infinite between us.**
> 
>  
> 
> As mentioned in ch.3, Ollie and Dinah met one year before, after Oliver's Halloween party…

Ollie knew his mother was mad at him. It isn’t the unusual, oh no. The weird thing would be if Moira was happy with him. He and Hal had decided to throw a Halloween party. Well… actually, he had decided to, but hush now, if Moira asked: **_he and Hal_.**

Thing is, Oliver had already thrown another party to celebrate the victory of their football team barely a week ago with the same results as this one. Of course, he couldn’t care less about football, but a party was a party. So, Go Tigers! Or however their school team was named. It was Hal who knew them better either way. See, that one had been Hal’s idea not his.

Returning to the main point here, he had trashed the manor ( _technically not him but rather his guests but Moira didn’t care about these details_ ). Just like a week ago, at the beginning of September, during August, July, June… you get the idea, right? Perfect.

Oliver liked to party. His best friend, Harold Jordan, liked to party. He didn’t like his name, though, if Hal ever found out that Oliver called him Harold, he’s sure he would never hear the end of it. Sometimes Hal can be as petty as that.

Moira had been explicit with her orders: no more parties. The problem wasn’t the party _per se_ , but the ending product. Every single time Ollie woke up hungover, he found his house unrecognizable. Not his fault, obviously!

His mother thought differently. Whatever. He wasn’t responsible for what his guests did or didn’t do during the party. He and Hal always cleaned a little after it, but being honest, they did an awful job. Hal could be good in certain stuff, like flirting with anything that moved, but cleaning wasn’t one of them. Neither was Ollie.

So, after an amazing Halloween party, Ollie had woken up at the 3PM with the yells of his mother and found that shit, he had fallen asleep and hadn’t cleaned anything before she had returned from her SPA session or whatever gala she had attended the previous night. He looked around for Hal. If he was getting scolded, so was his friend and co-perpetrator, but he didn’t find the little shit.

Moira screamed at him for hours dragging his ass all over the house and pointing out everything that was wrong with the manor (which basically meant  _every fucking thing_ ). Oliver couldn't remember half of the stuff that Moira was pointing him… until they got to the pool and he saw the shopping carts on the bottom. He laughed recalling him and Hal racing with them and other potheads before they clashed against the pool. Good times.

Moira pushed him into the pool and fled.

As Oliver got out of the pool, soaked, he realized two things: one, his mother was really pissed. Two, he was screwed.

 

(Maple Leaf )                      (Rose )                      (Maple Leaf )

 

Ollie stood in front of the flower shop. It was the one Hal had recommended him when he had finally located him: **Sherwood Florist**. It wasn’t fancy like the ones he was used to. Scowling, he decided to give it a try. After all, he should have known better. Hal was good with one-night stands not for the long haul, of course he would send him to a shady florist.

Pushing the door, because it wasn’t an automatic one, he entered the messy store. A small ding echoed in the air. Looking up, Ollie saw an old, rusty bell hanging form the lintel.

“Coming!” A woman shouted form somewhere in the depths of the shop.

Oliver decided to look around. The place was packed with metallic shelfs covered with flowers, small trees, sacks of Earth, ferns… everything his gardener had in their small greenhouse. As he walked further, he finally found the flowers he was looking for: roses. The shop had several bouquets with red, pink, white, yellow and even blue roses.

Even he had to admit that the place might be shabby, but those bouquets were magnificent. Worthy to be sold in one of the elegant flower shops he used to buy.

A voice startled him, “So, you need roses Queen?”

Oliver turned around frowning. The voice was from the woman who had screamed before. Did he know her?

He observed mesmerized a beautiful tall girl, with blond wavy hair, and hypnotic blue eyes. She was wearing combat black boots, ripped leggings and a t-shirt with some rock group logo stamped. Oliver tried to recall her. Someone has hot as her, it was impossible that had gone under his radar.

Smirking, he leaned against the counter and observed her. “Well, that was my original plan, but now that I see you, I’m not so sure anymore.” He finished with a wink. Usually all girls fell at his feet in 3,2,1…

“Get out if you are not going to buy anything. This is a shop, not a club.” With that, she turned around and left him.

Oliver stood there, perplexed. What had just happened? Clearing his throat, he trailed after his pretty bird.

“I apologize ma’am. I really need those roses. Maybe you could help me?” Oliver decided to follow his second strategy: his wealth. “The price won’t be a problem, you see. I’ve plenty of mone-”

“I’m pretty sure it’s your mother not you, who owns the money,” she replied nonchalantly; as if she wasn’t striking Oliver’s ego. God lord! Someone call 911, a murder was being committed!

Oliver was speechless. Okay, so she was tough. No problem. Oliver observed her. She was really hot. Mmmm… definitely worthy even if he needed to work a little bit harder to get her. He was Oliver Queen after all, no girl could resist him!

 

(Maple Leaf )                      (Rose )                      (Maple Leaf )

 

She was. She was resisting him. Oliver had returned to the shop every single day and bought dozens of flowers as every time he entered with a new line trying to impress her, she simply rolled her eyes and told him the same: _this is a shop. Buy something or leave_. So, he bought. Oh lord, he did.

At first, Moira had been flattered with all the flowers Oliver was gifting her. He used to do the same but never for so long… then after week two, she had discovered the truth. Hal laughed the whole night when Oliver knocked on his house and asked him if he could stay the night. Moira had kicked him out.

In these two weeks he had discovered more things about his pretty bird. Her name was Dinah, Dinah Lance. She was a junior like him on his high school, but he had never paid her any attention because she assisted all the AP classes. Oliver could be in those if he wanted but he preferred the average, less demanding, standard courses.

She was in several clubs like the newspaper, after school; Oliver was always in detention with Hal. His best friend loved snapping at Mr. Wayne and Oliver always ended dragged with him. (Okay, sometimes he was the one who pranked his teachers, sue him).

Dinah never attended any party or the few she attended, weren’t the wild ones Oliver used to throw or get invited to. What she did with regular basis was help her mother on their business: Sherwood Florist and study hard.

Oliver found her weird and admirable. She was everything he wasn’t: responsible, hardworking, constant… Truly admirable.

It was nearly Thanksgiving and the shop was getting more orders. Oliver himself had bought some flowers for his friends. Dinah snorted, “Is this your way to say thank you for put up with me? P.S.: I know I’m the worst. We sell cards if you need some, for your messages I mean.”

Oliver laughed. He had to admit that at first, he had been annoyed that she was being so difficult but now, he appreciated how she wasn’t falling for his bullshit. She was like Hal, but less problematic. His friend saw through his lies and that facade of wealthy-party boy just like Oliver saw how fucked up Hal truly was. They worked.

Now, Dinah was a mystery. It was obvious there was more than met the eye with her, but Ollie still needed more data to know what her deal was. He was intrigued to say the least. She was blunt and honest but all her comebacks to Oliver were done somehow playfully, with no real heat. At least, that’s what Ollie hoped.

One day, without knowing how, Ollie had ended elbows deep in piles of boxes, doing inventory. Dinah was reading out loud from her binder, all the products the storage was supposed to have, while Ollie was checking that they truly were there, and the quantity matched.

When they had finished, Oliver had decided that enough was enough. “Why won’t you give me a chance?”

“I know you. Your reputation precedes you.” Dinah answered him.

Oliver scoffed. Now his pride was truly wounded. Maybe all this had been a really bad idea. “Oh yeah? So according to my rep, I would have helped you? Or returned here every fucking day and bought you millions of stupid flowers?”

Dinah frowned. Defensively she replied, “No one made you, Queen. It’s obvious we both know why you did it so don’t try to turn around things!”

Oliver left. He called Hal and asked his friend if he wanted to get wasted. Hal didn’t ask him what was wrong. He simply handed him the booze and sat down with him in Oliver’s roof.

 

(Maple Leaf )                      (Rose )                      (Maple Leaf )

 

 

He hasn’t returned to the shop for three days. Heck, he barely goes to class. His mother asked him to go and stop fussing around. What would people think about her if her son didn’t graduate?

Oliver hated that. He hated his reputation. True, he had been the one to set it, but still… the only reason why he had decided to play the millionaire playboy was because it was fun and easy. Easier than deal with people screaming at your face that because of your father, they had lost millions. Because the Queen fortune was built in the disgrace of others. He hated it. So yeah, he drinks. Because if he does, people leave him all alone thinking he's an idiot, not worth their time and he can forget.

Hal finally drags his ass to school. They are late, and Mr. Wayne simply tells them to go to detention once the day is over. One for Hal for being late, two for Ollie for the same, plus cutting class.

He’s in a sullen mood. It’s lunch time and Hal is flirting with Carol. Some cheerleaders are trying to do the same with him, but Ollie ignores them. As every second passes by, his mood gets worse. He has nothing against Carol but every time she and Hal got together, his friend ends hurt. Oliver knows that Hal’s mom detests the Ferris for his husband’s death.

Oliver is about to snap and kick Hal’s ass all over the school grounds, when someone speaks next to him, “one would say you and Jordan are secret boyfriends. I mean, you look like Carol was trying to steal away your golden-boy and you were about to commit murder.” Dinah observes, looking at them.

Oliver considers ignoring her, but this is the first time Dinah has gone after him, not the other way around. “Yeah. I’m in love with Hal. We do all kinds of gay stuff together. Every day,” he muses.

Dinah chuckles. “Thought everyday you went to detention and after that, to stalk my shop.”

“Busted. Mr. Wayne is with us. We’re a threesome. Wanna watch?” Oliver turns his head and locks his eyes with hers.

Dinah bursts into laughter. Oliver thinks that he loves that sound and wants to hear it again. Dinah calms a little but from time to time, she titters. Oliver knows that everybody is looking at them, wondering what’s so funny but he doesn’t care. It’s something between he and his pretty bird.

 

 

(Maple Leaf )                      (Rose )                      (Maple Leaf )

 

 

Things go much smooth after that. Ollie still passes his afternoons in Dinah’s shop but now he offers her his assistance instead of just sitting around. He keeps buying flowers… but now gives them to her with a big toothy grin. She accepts them with a shy smile and a hid gleam on her eyes.

When Thanksgiving arrives, Ollie sneaks from the manor before his mother’s fancy party starts. The one that is full of ‘ _really important people for Queen industries, so you better behave Oliver_ ’ and goes straight to Dinah’s shop. It’s open and full of people picking up their centerpieces.

Oliver simply takes the cash register as Dinah and Mrs. Lance attend their customers. He’s already familiar with the prices and the machine. When the clock hits 2PM, the Lance women close the shop with tired smiles and invite Ollie to eat with them if he wants to. He accepts without hesitation.

It’s the best Thanksgiving he has ever had: warm, cozy, intimate and sincere. One hundred times better than the massive, fake ones, his mother always prepares.

 

(Maple Leaf )                      (Rose )                      (Maple Leaf )

 

It’s an average afternoon at the end of November. Dinah is behind the counter doing her school work and Oliver is texting Hal when a young man enters. Dinah immediately stops her studying and attends him. Oliver is replying Hal when the man screams as Dinah has slapped him. Oliver tosses the phone on the counter and runs to them.

“Dinah, what happened? Are you okay?” He caresses her shoulders, trying to soothe her. She’s shaking with fury.

“He grabbed my ass!” Is her only reply, in an icy tone.

Oliver drops his hands from her shoulders, and steps between her and the man. Narrowing his eyes he asks him, “Is that true? Did you touch the lady? Sir, leave the building immediately.”

The man scoffs, “she was asking for it. C’mon look at her. She bent over sticking her rear up! Obviously, she wanted me to touch he-”

He never finishes as Oliver punches him. The man takes a step back before he attacks him. Dinah screams, “Oliver!” as Oliver is tossed against a wall. The blow leaves him breathless. He watches with panic how the man is about to kick him while he’s still lying on the floor, when Dinah sweeps him off his feet.

Oliver is witness of how Dinah kicks his ass in the most impressive and efficient way he has ever seen. The man runs away. Dinah kneels on the floor next to Oliver and asks him, “are you okay? You took a nasty hit.”

Oliver is speechless. She’s not even panting!

“Pretty bird, I think after all, you didn’t need my help,” he says awed. Dinah chuckles. “My Queen, I would like very much if you gave me a chance. Would you please have a date with me? But I know exactly what I want to do.”

Dinah ridges her eyebrow, curious and wary of what Oliver is going to ask her.

Oliver smiles widely as he proposes her date, “I’d like you to teach me those fighting movements.”

The kiss Dinah gives him is enough answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to request more timestamps if you want to :) 
> 
> They can be either HalBarry or DinahOllie. You can do it down below in the comments or in my Tumblr [@redonthemoon](https://redonthemoon.tumblr.com/)


	2. Decora(ss)tions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during **Ch. 6: sing it back** ; between the 2nd and 3rd time divisions {the ★ ★ ★}.

Hal’s not picking up his phone. Barry remembers the promise he made to Hal, he promised him that whenever he and the Wests decided to set up the Christmas lights and decorations, he’d call him. Obviously, Barry is not the guilty one as he’s complying with his end of the deal; it’s Hal who’s not picking up his phone. Barry guesses why: he must be wherever it is that he and the jocks hang around.

Iris is observing him with pity. She knows about Hal’s new behavior. Even since he and Hal started to hang around, she and Dinah had become besties. Oliver hates what Hal is doing so he’s constantly venting to Dinah, who vents to Iris… who tells Barry. It’s a vicious cycle. Thank you very much, but he already knows it. He’s Hal’s boyfriend. He knows that his boyfriend is not with him. He’s not blind.

“Well, shall we start?” Joe is stroking his hands gleefully. He’s like a little kid: he loves Christmas, always has.

Barry remembers his first Christmas without his parents. He had been living with the Wests for months, yet when Christmas arrived he felt like a sledgehammer had hit him. It was during school, when all the kids where talking about their family dinners and winter vacations, when Barry finally realized that he no longer had a family.

The other kids made sure to remind him daily. They called him the _fake son_ and filled his mind telling him that adopted kids are not the same as real ones, that if he behaved badly, Joe would get rid of him, like trash, because he did not love him, not really. Barry cried. He had thought that Joe liked him…

That Christmas when Joe asked him to write to Santa he only asked for three things.

 

 

 

When Joe enquired him and Iris what they had asked for, Barry said nothing, only listened to Iris. Later, that same night, Joe had entered his room when Barry was almost asleep and hugged him tightly, telling him that he did love him and that he would never ever abandon him. Joe was crying and asked Barry why he did believe otherwise. He asked Barry if he felt bad with them, if Joe or Iris had done something wrong.

Barry thought it was a dream, so he told him the truth. Next day, when Joe bought him to class, he insisted to talk with his teacher, Mrs. Rosen.

It wasn’t until a couple of years later, when Barry discovered the truth behind Santa, that he realized what Joe had done. After his talk with his teacher, none of the kids mentioned again the fact that he was adopted. He always thought that from his list, only his third wish had become true. Now he understands that Joe must have warned the teacher to control better the kids or he might talk with his friends in the DMV… he always pulled that card when someone pissed him.

Barry shakes his head, returning to the present. He observes Iris and Joe planning how to set the external lights. He wishes he could go back in time and tell himself to not be scared nor a fool. That he did have a family, not the one he had been born with, but one that was as good. He would also tell him how much Joe loved, loves, and will love him. He knows because he feels the same. He loves Joe as much as he loves Henry. He has two fathers. End of the story. He has never questioned this and now he knows that neither as Joe. For him, Barry is as much as his son as Iris is his daughter.

His phone starts to sound. Wiping away some tears, he didn’t even realize he had shed, he sees it’s Hal.

“Hey, Hal,” he croaks.

“Bear? Are you alright?” Hal asks.

“Don’t worry, I was just getting emotional with some Christmas stuff. Anyways, Joe has decided to decorate today the house. You still in?” He smiles as Joe is now approaching him eager.

“That Hal? Pass me the phone.” Barry does. “Hal, move your ass here. We need all the help we can get. This is gonna be epic, you’ll see! You better be here in 5, son.” He hangs up and gives back Barry his phone with a wide grin.

Barry chuckles. Hal has no idea what was he signing for when he told Barry to count with him when Joe decided to transform their house in Christmas Village.

Joe and Iris are plotting the whole ordeal, where to set the tree, where to place the poinsettias they have bought, etc. Barry frowns as he sees Iris giggling as she looks in his direction.

Hal arrives jogging. He’s red from the effort. “Okay Joe don’t shoot me! Here, I am.” He pants before he pecks Barry on the lips.

Barry is happy to see him. These past days Hal has barely spent any time with him. He’s now always with the football team. Rumors are getting around that maybe now that he’s finishing high school, Hal Jordan wants to be in their football team to score a scholarship for college. Barry knows this theory is absurd; Hal has no plans to attend college. He wants to become a pilot, and nothing is going to stop him.

“Okay, Iris and I are going to decorate the interior of the house, you two, the exterior. Iris here, tells me you wanted to.” Joe tells them.

Barry narrows his eyes as he watches his sister. The traitor! She only wants the warmth of their heating while Barry’s ass gets cold! Iris winks and blows him a kiss.

Joe oblivious to any of this, is telling Hal how he wants his lights. Barry checks that it’s still the same pattern they have been using since they moved here. Hal listens carefully to everything Joe is telling him, nodding along. When Joe finishes, Hal pats his shoulder. “Don’t worry! Bear and I’ll make sure that all the lights are appropriately placed where you want them, Sir.”

Joe pretends to wipe away a tear as he nods. Barry rolls his eyes. Joe sometimes can be worse than Hal with his theatrics. Iris approaches him.

“Dad’s like a kid,” she mutters.

Barry has to agree with her but, “Traitor,” he hisses. “You only want to stay warm.”

Iris fakes surprise, “Me? Oh, Barry I would never! Plus, look it this way, if Hal gets up the ladder you can stare at his ass…”

“I think his plan is the other way around,” he replies without thinking.

Iris laughs, and Barry realizes what he has said out loud. Joe and Hal look at them. Barry is sure he’s blushing, so he playfully pushes Iris and stomps over the garage where they keep the ladder. Hal follows him.

“Joe is really excited,” he observes as he aids Barry with the ladder.

“Yeah, he’s always been like that. He once dressed as Santa Claus and gave Iris and I our presents. I remember we told him like to wait for himself, so he could see Santa too,” he chortles.

Hal chuckles. “Well, it’s obvious he got you two pretty well. Was he disguised with the whole thing? Beard, hat, reindeers?”

Barry frowns, ceasing all his movement and turns around to look at Hal. “How would he get reindeers?”

“Teddies? I don’t know! He just seems like the kind to go big or go home.” Hal shrugs and sets the ladder against the garage’s wall for more stability. He wiggles his eyebrows and points at Barry and then back to the ladder.

“Hal, why me?” he whines although he already knows the answer.

“You remember the deal? Cause I do. You told me, literally, that I could stare at your ass as I held the ladder. A promise is a promise Bear. Now, get that perfect ass of yours above my head. You better give me a nice view mister or otherwise, Santa Claus will be reported of how naughty you are being, and you might be _punished._ ” His voice lowers until it becomes a hoarse whisper.

Barry swallows and shivers, wondering what kind of punishment Hal might be talking about. He finally decides to climb the stupid thing. He has only taken three steps when he jumps as Hal has firmly squeezed his ass.

“Hal! You’re going to kill me! Thought you had said ‘ _hold the ladder and stare_ ’. How are you exactly holding the ladder if you are grabbing my ass, huh?”

“Details, Bear. Not the important stuff. Tsk.” Hal smirks and Barry rolls his eyes as he keeps climbing. He reaches the top of the ladder and the rooftop. Okay now…

Hal wolf-whistles from below. “Damn! That’s a sight I’d kill to see every day! Damn it Bear do you do squats or something? Because, wow. Dude your ass is so awesome, that it’s a shame that you’ve to sit on it,” he laughs at his own joke. Barry shakes his head used by now to his boyfriend’s antiques. He looks down to Hal, who is licking his lips in the lewdest way possible. It’s so easy to see what he’s thinking about.

“You know, I think it’s perfect that the weather is so cold, otherwise you would’ve combusted,” muses Barry.

Hal nods shamelessly. “Heck yeah, how could I not? Bear, bear, bear, Mr. Wayne asked us to write a poem. I had no idea of what to write. He said, write what you like the most, what inspires you…” Barry fears where this is going into. “I know exactly what I should write about. Your fucking perfect ass. It’s gonna be the best poem I’m telling you, because babe, you’re so fucking hot I-”

“What are you two fools doing?” Joe yells. Hal shrieks and the ladder moves. Barry holds himself against the roof and yelps as he looks down to Hal. Is he trying to get him killed or what? On the other hand, he hopes his father hasn’t listened to anything Hal has said. “Barry get down you… Kids, how exactly do are you going to hang the lights… IF I HAVE THEM?!”

Barry blinks and looks around. He’s up the ladder, and yeah, the box that contains their lights isn’t in the roof with him. He bangs his head against the roof. Climbing down, he keeps his eyes downcast, ashamed. He so wants to disappear. Oh god.

Hal laughs nervously. “Sorry Joe, we got excited about Christmas and-”

“Save it. We both know the only thing you got excited about was my son’s ass. I expect that your poem is as good as you claim. _I can’t wait to read it_.” With that, he leaves. Barry elbows Hal who is dumbstuck.

A very grumpy Iris comes out and groans to Barry to go inside. Joe has ordered her to replace him outside since it seems that neither him or Hal can ‘ _respect Christmas as it deserves to be respected_ ’.

 Barry wants to disappear. He’s livid to spend the next hours alone with Joe, who’s not going to stop teasing him. Hal whines. He whispers his goodbye to Barry’s precious ass. Barry flips him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to request more timestamps if you want to :)  
> You can do it down below in the comments or in my Tumblr [@redonthemoon](https://redonthemoon.tumblr.com/)


End file.
